The Chronicles of Chandu Part 1: ElementElites
by cylex7
Summary: A new ruler is exiled from his island for kidnapping after saving it from a shadowy foe. His travels take him across the map as he gains allies and joins a group of bounty hunters with a common foe looking for an ancient stone.
1. Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Odina, island of the Dark Hunters. All Dark Hunters are either recruited through willingness or by force. Usually it was the latter. Slaves, vagrants, and thieves coerced into joining the organization because they had nothing left to live for … besides themselves. Population: Numerous and varying from day to day. It all depends on members or prisoners being killed for various reasons: Not divulging information, selling the treasure that was to be collected, killing another Dark Hunter, or trying to abandon the organization after one has joined it.

The primary enforcer of all these rules was a fiend known as the Shadowed One. His true name has been lost (on purpose) through the annals of time and has never been said for thousands of years. This charismatic and temperamental ruler of the island of Odina has risen the population of Elite Dark Hunters from zero to six in the span of 100 years. This is the story of how it happened…

On an island far from Odina, the sun set low in the air. It almost looked as if the caldera of the volcano that took up half of the island was cradling the ball of fire in the sky. Nothing much was going on that barren rock that was called an island. Waves crashed to shore and the smell of the water mingled with the acrid stench of the mountain's smoke that occasionally revealed itself once in a while. A large fortress on the island's other half, a twisted offspring of the volcano bred from magma and stone, loomed over the thousands of slaves constructing a sea vessel that was weeks away from completion. Several huts dotting any available space left on the island could be seen from any angle, all of them seemingly made of solid magma.

Yet… Before the slaves, the magma huts, the twisted fortress, and the vessel, however, there was the Makuta, a race of beings assigned to certain islands. They were supposed to create Rahi beasts to populate it, but as of late, the Makuta have been operating in a more sinister manner. One of the Eyelanders caused the Makuta to flee the island and that Eyelander in turn became Leader. This is his story.


	2. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Life is a nightmare. For the Eyelanders, at least. It isn't scary, per se, if you don't count the skeletal enforcers of the law that don't mind bringing workers close to death, only to have the others work harder when the "victim" quits building and dies. Death is a sweet mercy compared to the agonizing minutes after the shrapnel is embedded into your muscles, bleeding out your life energy as you are told to work harder, weld more, and thank the Makuta of the island that death will come quickly.

The Makuta, overseer and creator of the laws that govern the barren island. No one has ever seen him, and the hope of ever doing so decreases daily as more die by the hands of the Rahkshi enforcers. The closest that one comes in contact with the Makuta is through one of the few spineless Rahkshi that can communicate in a non-growling language. These Rahkshi shout out orders to the Eyelanders, "encouraging" them to build the Makuta's fortress.

Sure, there was time to rest, but the settlements of the Eyelanders were guarded by the Rahkshi to ensure that there was no escape. One could flee by sea, but they could only tread so much water and the nearest island was hundreds of miles away.

In short, there was no hope of ever leaving the island. There was a volcano to the north, but the steep climb up the slope would likely kill anyone trying to scale it, as there were loose rocks and boulders that could hinder or flatten potential sightseers. Fortunately, these quick roads to death were somewhat viable to those who were fast enough, at least. The fortress site was positioned on the opposite side of the island, so there was the long, arduous run filled with dodging blasts of shrapnel until one even thought of reaching the volcano's base.

On the right side of the island, miles away from the volcano, was a digging site in order to create the fortress that the Makuta had "commissioned" the Eyelanders to create. There was no set time in which it should have been completed, but it seemed that the faster that they worked, the more Eyelanders stayed alive… Or at least, able to socialize. Whenever a worker got distracted from their job, they got a reprimand. When they were distracted a second time, the Rahkshi would send bolts of chain lightning at the repeat offender in order to "wake" them up. If they were distracted a third time… Things… For lack of a better phrase… "Got ugly."

The Rahkshi would screech, calling over another Rahkshi with a clawed staff. The clawed staff Rahkshi would then fire on the Eyelander in front of the others, not caring about who is around or not; a killing machine at work… "Nothing to see here… Keep working." After that, either everyone will forget about what just happened or more shrapnel would fly, spilling life energy onto the soil, creating greenery that would be forgotten as well after the semi-mute Rahkshi zaps it to a crisp and stomps on it. The Rahkshi then checks the Eyelander for vital signs. If he is lucky, he is dead. If he is not… An empty existence awaits him.

That Rahkshi who killed him and then saved his life, only to destroy it yet again, would take him to the volcano. The Eyelander would come back to the digging site after a few days, good as new, except… Different. More drive, more work ethic, more willing to follow the Rahkshis' every command. When one also looked into their eyes, they seemed off-focus, off-track… Glassy.

To the left of the digging site, on the other side of the island, there was an abundance of large stone domes. Each was exactly alike and they all carried the same thing: a stone rectangular prism. A bed. There are no luxuries on this island, except for a soundproofing stone door on the side of the ten-foot dome, allowing for privacy or a place for insanity to set in. One could leave his home, but that would mean being followed by a Rahkshi personally assigned to that specific Eyelander, and it was worse than being alone because the Rahkshi were watching your every move and were silent as the grave, unless an Eyelander did something wrong, of course. Only then would they shriek and alert other Rahkshi who will carry out the punishments with pleasure, their semi-mute comrades watching the torturous acts with hungry eyes.

These Rahkshi are different than the speaking ones. They don't talk. They shriek. They scream. They roar. Their heads split open and a large slug-like Kraata pops out, opens its mouth, and makes this myriad of frightening noises. Another difference is the spine found on the mostly-mute Rahkshi, compared to the talking Rahkshi that have none, as well as the staffs that the spineless ones carry: a claw on a stick. Some Eyelanders have regrettably seen the staffs in action, shooting shrapnel at their fellow species, first breaching armor, then going deeper into the metal, shredding muscle and damaging vital organs.

The Eyelanders themselves were all the same, seven feet of black and silver armor, large, elongated heads, except for one key difference: their eye colors, as well as the quirks and talents associated with them. Emerald-Eyes, for example, were guards and the brute force within the population of Eyelanders. They did the toughest jobs and the toughest work in order to impress the Rahkshi. One couldn't tell if it was for survival or they thought that Rahkshi could actually display emotion, yet either way, they pulled off living the longest.

The Sapphire-Eyed Eyelanders weren't so lucky. They all seemed so fascinated with the sky, more so at night, when the stars were high over their heads. It often distracted them, and as a result, the Rahkshi had to tell them to get back to work more often than the others. They were astronomers, as most figured out, and the Makuta even caught on, ordering the Rahkshi to skip to punishment level two for any Eyelander, especially an Sapphire-Eyed one, that was visually distracted from their work.

If that edict had included vocalization, Sulfur-Eyes would be in the volcano daily. The Sulfur-Eyes were keen observers that always mumbled to themselves. Most thought that they were driven insane by the workload or the Rahkshi, but they actually took copious mental notes about anything interesting and they repeated it all day long, taking their breaks at night by scratching out their journals on the walls. This lead to insomnia and eventually hallucinations that stopped work long enough to get the shrapnel staffs firing. The Makuta and his Rahkshi gave up on trying to placate them, instead taking them straight to the volcano to be "glassed."

Besides, the Rahkshi were too busy capturing the escaping Azure-Eyes to pay attention to the lost cause that was the Sulfur-Eyes. The Azure-Eyes wanted out for the adventure, to taste the sea air, to breathe its salty fumes, to travel the oceans and be freer than the birds that landed on the coastal shores near the huts of the Azure-Eyes. Only if the Rahkshi hadn't shot at the birds would the freedom be kept alive. Instead, just like the Eyelanders, the birds were made prisoner as well. No free will, just work, sleep and death that came quickly for some. The Eyelanders were assigned a Rahkshi each, and not the talking ones either, to accompany them on any occasion they should leave their domes. The Rahkshi were the shadows of the Eyelanders, keeping watch over them to make sure they didn't do anything stupid… Or brave. Any attempt to escape or try and kill a Rahkshi was met with shrapnel, and the Amber-Eyes had ways to deal with that…

Amber-Eyes were healers. Not supernatural, but physical, patching different pieces of armor together and exchanging it with the shrapnel-ridden parts that could at least be saved. This meant that armor needed to be separated from the tender muscles, ligaments (and sometimes, internal organs) that were all underneath the protective metallic coating that made up the Eyelanders' form. This lead to unbearable pain and screaming that was quickly muffled. Since digging the foundation of the fortress, the Rahkshi have been more lenient about saving the lives of the Eyelanders, letting the Amber-Eyed Medics set up household infirmaries. There was no way to quell the patients, they just had to grin and bear it. Before the fortress structure was complete, however, they used the so-called healing waters off the coast of the island to try and alleviate their patient's pain. Unfortunately, it caused paralysis and as it nullified any attempt to save the Eyelander in order for them to work on digging or building, one Medic suggested stuffing dirt in the mouth of the victim.

The soil is one of the most valued possessions on the island, besides the precious metals hidden beneath the earthen material. It had several uses such as being a source of food or being porous enough so that it can be caked on one's face and they would still be able to breathe. This was useful when one needed to scavenge the volcano's slope for metals to build the fortress with. One would absorb the nutrients and minerals within the food by hand, fashion the now-rubbery clay to fit the mouth, and continue the search for fortress materials. This is what one Ruby-Eye did as he walked towards the titanic volcano… unaided…


	3. Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

The Ruby-Eyes never really had a special talent that they could show for. If being harsh and short-tempered was one, then the Ruby-Eyes sure had a talent just like the rest of their species. No one went near the Ruby-Eyes for this reason, all of them gathering around the members that shared the same eye colors as they did. Fraternizing with another eye color meant more suspicion for the Rahkshi. More suspicion meant more metallic fragments and, as everyone knew, more metallic fragments meant more death as well as more work.

More. The word had two meanings. From the common, standard, and average perspective, the word more means an addition, but in the psychological perspective, more, pronounced _moray_, meant a custom of a culture, that, when violated, harbored deathly serious consequences. One of the customs on the island was to _never_ go near the volcano. No one asked why… Well, some did, and the idea of asking was dropped after the questioners met shrapnel. That was many years ago. The Eyelanders never ventured to the northern parts of the island, where the volcano thrived, even now because they have completely forgotten the edict, the Eyelanders being used to the daily routine: waking up, being followed by their Rahkshi to the building site, working until the sun was replaced by the moon, being taken back to the village, and falling asleep, the Rahkshi standing guard in case the Eyelander wanted to leave, not that they could have, anyways.

So it was a serious more violation that the Ruby-Eye would have somehow disabled the Rahkshi, somehow slipping through the village unnoticed by all of the other Rahkshi, even going so far as to set off towards the volcano and not attempt to salvage up a boat out of the metals at hand. This was not a more violation anymore, it was a violation of law; it was sheer suicide.

Or was it? The volcano seemed to hold many secrets, and for thousands of years, the Eyelanders have been laboring… For what? Someone who wouldn't even show his face to the Eyelanders, who would wrap the island in secrecy, who would kill the ones that he was, supposedly, in charge of protecting. There couldn't have been a reason to kill off so many, to do all of this. What was the point?

Even further still was the never-ending question of why the workforce never lessened, always seemingly retaining the same number even though so many have died at the hands of the Rahkshi. Perhaps the Makuta had an infirmary of his own, where he patched up the Eyelander, or Eyelanders, and sent them back… But from where? This is why the Ruby-Eye started his climb up the slope, to answer some of these swimming questions in his head. This was his purpose.

The Ruby-Eye paused his ascent and looked around for the second time that day. His Rahkshi was looking for him; no doubt, flying all across the island, never thinking that this one would be foolish enough to even go near the volcano. He smiled at this. He was ready for them, though not 'ready' in the way that most would expect. He was ready to die.

He decided that he was ready as he saw the Rahkshi fly towards the volcano, staff in hand. It alighted at the base and stood there, menacingly clutching its staff as if that were all it had left in the world. The Ruby-Eye waited for the creature to make a move. It didn't, except to roar towards the sight of the Rahkshi leading everyone to work. One of the Rahkshi, a spineless one, flew over towards its 'brother' and stood next to him, its cold, blue eyes gleaming in the early morning sunlight.

"Come here," The Rahkshi said in monotone, pointing towards the ground next to him. "Now." The Ruby-Eye looked up at the caldera of the volcano, and then walked down towards where the two Rahkshi stood. He came here to find answers, and now he has found one: _There is something inside of the volcano. Something important to the Rahkshi._

If the enforcers had been looking at the Ruby-Eye, they would have questioned his smile. If they could read his mind, however, the Rahkshi would have been puzzled by the two words that entered his mind during the smile:_ The Makuta_.

Months had passed since that day on the volcano. The Rahkshi had since then watched their charges more closely, the spineless ones now issuing death threats in order to keep them working, since the fortress was nearing its completion within a week.

The Eyelanders, the Rahkshi noticed, were getting nervous. Since the announcement that the fortress was soon to be completed, the Eyelanders were questioning what they would do after the building was done with. They could go on and practice their traits, turning them into jobs to benefit the community, but would that be what the Makuta would want?

"I say we escape to the sea!" said one Azure-Eye, raising his arm for attention. "We can just barrel through those Rahkshi!" said one of the Emerald-Eyes, his comrades backing him up with rowdy encouragement. A Sapphire-Eye piped up, "We can escape to the stars! We can strip down the fortress metals, build a rocket, and… and…" He stopped his rambling and looked up from his plotting hands and saw that the entire room of Eyelanders was looking at him.

Months ago, one of the Amber-Eyes noticed that the Rahkshi never watched anyone in their homes. He moved his bed with some difficulty and started tunneling under the earth using the Rahkshi-regulation knives he got for gathering metal under the soil. This Eyelander loved the earth because of those beautiful knives, and their serrated edges were perfect for cutting off the limbs of his fellow species to replace… Or store away for the future. He was a medic, after all. He tunneled for hours and finally bumped into a Ruby-Eye, starting a partnership that would last for millennia to come.

Soon after that day, whispered talk about the underground meetings took place between unrelated phrases like, "Pass me the welder, would you?" or "Hand me that piece of metal." and even "Grab me some dirt. I'm hungry," and more Eyelanders dug underneath their homes, creating a network of tunnels beneath the surface of the island, as well as a central hub connecting the tunnels in the middle of the village. This led to massive overnight digs that helped construct a large room that housed all of the population of the island. Fortunately, stones that emitted light were found during the digs, allowing for a safe and easy way home as well as to help light up the meeting hall. The best part about this was that the Rahkshi never noticed. It was all too easy.

"So, my Ruby-Eyed associate," said an Amber-Eye carrying two serrated-edged knives, "How was the volcano?" The addressed whirled on the addressee, "Horrible," his voice was dripping with disgust and a trace of malice, "I learned nothing except that heat is good and that you have no foresight… Always egotistical, you ambers," he said, walking away towards the podium on a makeshift earthen stage, "Always."

"Attention! Members of the Island Via Underground! Members of IVU!" The congregation kept talking. "SILENCE!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the Ruby-Eyed one at the podium and a hush fell over the crowd. A smile of accomplishment came from the visage of the Ruby-Eyed being. He cleared his throat and spoke. "The time has come to rebel against the Rahkshi and take ownership of this island! We will go to the source of this misery and bring down those responsible for it! No longer will the Makuta's shadow threaten this place with his darkness!" The Eyelanders started cheering as the Ruby-Eye continued, "We will then live under a new rule… Our rule! The rule of IVU!"

At this point, the crowd erupted, the Rahkshi standing guard above believing it to be a small earth tremor. They still kept their guard, though. Better to be guarding the dome than looking around for the source of a natural cause.

The Ruby-Eye walked off the stage, away from the cheering mob of Eyelanders and his Amber-Eyed partner. _Let them cheer_, he thought, _Let them have their fun_… _While I enact my plan_…

He later placed his bed over the hole beneath leading to the congregation room and crawled onto the slab of rock, exhausted. However, he had last thought he had before drifting off to sleep. _My plan to make this island mine…_


End file.
